Parents of autistic teen detained by Alberta RCMP demand release of delayed watchdog report
The parents of an autistic teenager who was arrested at an Alberta playground and detained by RCMP four years ago are calling for the results of a watchdog investigation to be released.
Ryley Bauman was 16 in October 2022 when he was seized from a St. Albert playground and placed in holding cells by RCMP, who believed he was an adult intoxicated by drugs or alcohol.
A previous Alberta watchdog investigation found that Bauman — who is non-verbal and functions at the level of a seven-year-old — repeatedly harmed himself in custody, was held down by officers, sedated and taken to hospital before RCMP learned he had been reported missing by family.
Weeks later, the RCMP Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) launched an investigation into his detention to determine if new policies are needed to improve interactions between RCMP and neurodivergent people.
The CRCC promised to examine if officers properly accommodated Bauman’s disability and took reasonable steps to prevent him from harming himself, and if adequate training is provided to help police distinguish intoxication from disabilities.
Four years later, Bauman’s parents Laura Hawthorne and Aaron Krause are still waiting to learn if the CRCC will recommend disciplining the arresting officers or changing RCMP policies in their son’s name.
'Falling through the cracks'
“They can hide behind paperwork and blow off deadlines and it's been over four years and we've just watched Ryley deteriorate,” said Hawthorne in an interview with CBC News.
“I'm never going to let go of this. We're never going to go away because this is just the last straw. When it comes to falling through the cracks, Ryley deserves more.”
Krause said Canada's RCMP watchdog system is fraught with delays, calling bodies like the CRCC flawed and “jawless” when it comes to holding officers accountable.
“Ryley deserves not just justice for what happened to him, but Ryley deserves changes inside of the RCMP's operating system, inside of their own protocols, and how they address and react to people that have neurodivergence,” Krause said.
“There shouldn't be a massive bureaucratic red-tape nightmare preventing an organization that is supposed to protect people from admitting that it made a mistake.”
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In a statement Monday, CRCC officials blamed a combination of investigative hurdles and staffing shortages for the protracted review.
The inquiry was paused for years while the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) conducted its own investigation into Bauman’s arrest. In March 2024, it concluded that charges of unlawful confinement and assault should be considered against the three arresting officers.
Crown prosecutors, however, declined to lay charges, citing no reasonable likelihood of conviction — a decision Bauman’s parents condemned as another systemic failure that denied them access to justice.
“How do you continue on, and it's four years later with no repercussions?” Krause said. “We just want the officers held accountable.”
That May, the RCMP completed its own investigation and handed the findings over to the CRCC.
But the national watchdog found the RCMP review lacking and opted to investigate further, prolonging the timeline by months.
Delays were further compounded because the watchdog lacked a permanent chairperson for more than a year, leaving hundreds of files stalled.
“We understand and sympathize with the Bauman family’s concerns over the timeline to complete the CRCC’s review and investigation,” commission officials said in a statement this week.
“We sincerely regret that the delays in this case have impacted Ryley and his family.”
'Justice delayed is justice denied'
The CRCC confirmed it received the RCMP’s response to its findings on Nov. 9, after CBC News inquired about the outstanding report. The CRCC said it now expects to release its final public report by the end of the year.
“The RCMP recognizes the significance of this matter for Ryley Bauman and his family and understands their desire for answers," RCMP national headquarters spokesperson Lisa McDonald-Bourg said in a statement to CBC News.
Tom Engel, chair of the Criminal Trial Lawyers' Association's (CTLA) policing committee, said the case demonstrates a long-overdue need for reform.
“It's typical of the delays in the RCMP Act disciplinary process,” Engel said. “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
Engel said the CTLA has advocated for decades for Ottawa to overhaul the RCMP Act and give the CRCC the statutory authority and resources required to conduct independent investigations and issue binding disciplinary orders.
Under the current framework, the watchdog rarely leads initial inquiries, relying instead on the RCMP to investigate, a process Engel criticized as lacking independence. The RCMP commissioner is also free to reject the commission's recommendations.
“The lack of teeth is a serious problem with the CRCC,” Engel said.
Ryley Bauman was arrested in October 2022 when police were called to a playground in St. Albert, Alta. An investigation found officers wrongfully identified the autistic teen as a known drug user. (Laura Hawthorne)
Amy Tint, a clinical psychologist who has researched how police interact with autistic people, said the delay in the investigation is disappointing.
Tint, an Azrieli Accelerator assistant professor in neurodiversity at the University of Calgary, said the Bauman investigation could provide critical insights into the training needed to ensure neurodivergent people are better protected when encountering police.
Her research has found that people who are neurodivergent are more likely to interact with police and are at greater risk.
“This family and this young person, I think they experienced a really traumatic experience that's having a lasting impact. And we know they're not alone, unfortunately. So it's an issue that we need to urgently address.”
'No going back'
The Bauman family has filed a lawsuit against the Attorney General of Canada, Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the lead arresting officer.
The suit seeks more than $15 million in damages for wrongful arrest and severe, ongoing psychological trauma, including PTSD and anxiety.
Court records show that AHS and the Attorney General of Canada have both asked that the case be dismissed.
In its statement of defence, the Attorney General of Canada rejected the family’s claims, denying any liability in the case and asserting that RCMP acted “in a reasonable manner.”
AHS also denied the allegations levied in the lawsuit, arguing in its statement of defence that the paramedics called to Bauman’s cell provided him emergency medical care in “good faith.”
Bauman’s parents said the civil proceedings remain largely on hold while they await the CRCC’s final report.
They say one reality remains inescapable: their son has been permanently altered and will now require lifelong, daily care.
Once happy and confident, Bauman now lives in a persistent state of fear and paranoia.
He’s been hospitalized since May, when his distress escalated, and his condition continues to deteriorate.
“They arrested a 16-year-old kid. They've destroyed his transition to adulthood,” Hawthorne said. “He's most likely turning 21 in a hospital bed… There is no going back.”
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